A Gift From The Matrix
by Kazzabelle
Summary: CH 9 LOADED! AN added. Trinity and Neo receive an unexpected surprise that will change the course of the Matrix forever. It is all a result of choice. Yet is it? The adventure begins. Reviews would be wonderful.
1. AN, Chapter One

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
  
I am considering rewriting some or all of this fanfiction. As described in a review, I've made some errors in my plot that need reworking. Of course, my pride takes a beating (I'm just fiercely stubborn!) but I appreciated the comments. I realised I have a confused, and more 'overall' view of the Matrix, rather than an intricate understanding.  
  
So, could you please read these chapters and tell me what you think? I have a full story in mind, of many chapters, but I see the reviewer's point, in that some of it needs to be revised. I will begin the rewrites ASAP.  
  
P.S I won't be updating between 21st December and about the 30th - I am going away for Christmas. But please keep reviewing. I need the encouragement, criticism and support.  
  
Thanks.  
  
Have a merry christmas.  
  
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CHAPTER ONE  
  
Neo could hardly eat or sleep for the following few weeks. It had been such a shock. He could not stop thinking about it. He had wanted it, of course; wanted to share it with her with every fibre of his being. But he had not bargained for the emotions.  
  
Of course, he'd been truly and deeply in love beforehand. That was unmistakeable. He'd never felt this way about anybody before - this was just not of this world, and completely mind-blowing and phenomenal. It felt so right, so deep, and so true. They were meant to be together; they fit together as beautifully as the ivory and ebony keys of a piano forte. Totally different and unique, yet inseparable and destined to be as one.  
  
As he worked tirelessly, fitting the electricity, manning the wires, he thought back to that night, half smiling to himself in a rather boyish, lovestruck manner. He remembered seeing her as she strode out from behind the rocks in Zion. The earth-coloured clothes she wore loosely revealed the curves of her flawless figure. He remembered thinking that, at that moment, she'd never looked so beautiful. She'd been on his mind for hours, for days, and the only thing he wanted to do, the only thing he could do at that moment, was to kiss her. It was an ache.  
  
Trinity felt it, too. Every single moment she looked at him, and saw the depth of the love reflecting in his eyes, she knew they were meant to be. Not usually romantic or sentimental, she realised that Neo had irrevocably altered her. She was still the same, tough, unbreakable Trinity, but Neo's love for her and her feelings for him meant that a softer, deeper side to her personality had been revealed. Surges of love coursed through her every time she thought about him, everytime she looked at him, every time she heard the sound of his voice, every time they touched.  
  
The pulsing of the tribal music of Zion was only the accessory to the moment. It coincided with the memory, added to the emotions coursing through them as they kissed, as they embraced, as they touched, as they formed the unbreakable bond that was to secure their love forever.  
  
Now Neo couldn't concentrate. Cursing aloud, he realised he'd cut the wrong wire in the circuitboard and zapped himself painfully, sending a nerve running up his arm. Damnit, he wanted Trinity to be there. Trinity....just the word sent tingles of love through his mind, his stomach...his heart.  
  
'Neo, are you finished in there?' Morpheus called out, and Neo was shaken out of his reverie.  
  
'Almost,' he replied, 'but I cut the wrong wire. How long have we got?'  
  
'Not long,' Morpheus said. 'A month, maybe two. We have to prepare the ship for the sentinels by then. I know we can make it, Neo. I believe in the prophecy. I believe in the Oracle. And I believe in you.'  
  
Neo nodded. He was tired.  
  
'And,' Morpheus added, 'I know Trinity believes in you, too.'  
  
Neo smiled.  
  
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
  
This note is in response to the review received by Elli Q. Thanks for your criticisms, they were useful for me. I still get baffled by some of the finer details of the Matrix myself. However, could you please send me your email address, so I can offer a more personal response? Thanks. :D  
  
And to everybody who wishes to offer criticisms or advice; that's fine. But PLEASE leave an email address so I can respond. I like to feel I have had an interaction with somebody. Thanks.  
  
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	2. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO  
  
'They're moving in,' Niobe said, jabbing at the map in front of her. 'We've detected their rate of movement. With Dozer's calculations, they'll be here in a matter of weeks.'  
  
'How many?' Cass asked.  
  
'Thousands.' Niobe surveyed the map. 'Millions, for all we know. We can only estimate. But the fact is, any number we detect, we'd have to multiply by at least fifteen to get an accurate picture.'  
  
Cass whistled.  
  
'Yeah,' Niobe said. 'I need you all on guard, on post, at all times. Neo, I want you to rest, stay healthy. We need to gear up for this.' She looked up at Morpheus, and he looked back at her, deep into her eyes. 'This is gonna be the biggest battle of our lives. We're not gonna screw it up.'  
  
Morpheus intervened. 'Do we have a chance?'  
  
Niobe considered. 'I....don't know. But we can try. I am confident that we can do our very best. Beyond that...well, it is up to fate, I suppose.'  
  
'Let's go, guys,' Cass said, 'it's dinner; I'm starving.'  
  
Cass and Dozer hurried off to the dining area. Niobe, Neo and Morpheus stayed behind.  
  
'Neo, it will be all right. Just rest,' Niobe said. 'I can't stress enough how important it is that that is what you do.'  
  
Morpheus agreed. 'No physical exertion. I'll handle any errands we need to run.'  
  
Neo didn't seem to listen. 'Where's Trinity?' he asked. 'I haven't seen her since this morning.'  
  
Niobe eyed Morpheus. 'I don't know,' she said.  
  
Morpheus shook his head. 'Nor do I.'  
  
Neo felt a rush of panic. 'Where is she? I have to find her.'  
  
Morpheus stood and called out through the ship, in his booming voice. 'Trinity!'  
  
There was no answer.  
  
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To be continued. 


	3. Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE  
  
'Trin?'  
  
Neo called out through the ship, fear clenching his stomach. Where was she? Was she hurt? Asleep? Had something happened to her? He had to find her; he had to. His head throbbed and ached. If something has happened her...he thought...I don't know what I'll do.  
  
And he heard her. A muffled voice, faint and faraway, almost blurred in tone. He pricked his ear. 'Trinity!' he bellowed. 'Where are you?'  
  
'I'm in here,' her voice called out weakly, and then he turned and saw her perched on her bed. Crumpled tissues lay, discarded, around her. Her face was red and swollen. She'd been crying.  
  
'What is it, Trin?' he cried, gathering her into his arms and holding her against his chest. He rocked her back and forth, murmuring. 'What is it, baby?'  
  
Trinity sniffled, and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Neo was petrified. He'd never seen Trinity cry before; it was a new sensation, and he knew something must be terribly wrong for her to let her emotions out so openly. The sight and sound of her crying was so surreal to him that he felt a fierce surge of love for her, and a fierce desire to do everything within his power to comfort and protect her from whatever evil she was faced with.  
  
'I'll look after you, baby,' he said. 'Shush, don't cry, Trin.' He stroked her silky brown hair. 'It's okay.' He was so used to being the protected one, the comforted one, that the role reversal was quite unnerving.  
  
'I don't want to lose you,' she said.  
  
He grabbed her in an even tighter hug than before. 'Trin,' he said, 'you won't ever lose me.' He felt a sense of de ja vu; they'd shared these words at Zion, only it had been he who had been worried about losing Trinity. 'I love you.'  
  
She sniffled again, and a new tear fell down her face. 'You won't, though, now.'  
  
'Why not?'  
  
She hung her head, and then looked up at him again, silent tears still streaming down her cheeks. 'I...um...have something to tell you,' she said.  
  
'What?' He asked, a fresh wave of panic washing over him. 'What is it?' He could not think of what could possibly be wrong. 'Tell me, Trin, please, tell me!'  
  
'Well...I...'  
  
At that moment, the door swung open, and the two swivelled around to face it. It was Niobe.  
  
'Oh, there you are, Trinity, Morpheus has been looking everywhere for you!' Niobe grinned. 'We thought we'd lost you for a minute there.'  
  
Neo eyed Trinity. She hung her head again.  
  
'Can I see both of you for a minute, please? We have to discuss plans. There's some new information that's gonna change things quite a bit.'  
  
'Not more,' Neo heard Trinity mutter.  
  
'Sure, Niobe,' Neo said, clasping Trinity's hand in his. 'We're coming, Niobe. Just a minute.'  
  
Sighing, the two followed Niobe into the main area of the ship.  
  
'Tell me later,' Neo said. 


	4. Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
Usually attentive, Neo could not focus on anything Niobe and Morpheus were saying. From time to time, he caught a snippet of 'sentinels' and 'moving in' and 'problems in the mainframe' along with the occasional 'shit' coming from Dozer. But he did not understand the context nor the true message. He was too worried about Trinity.  
  
He held her hand the entire time, something she was grateful for. They never usually showed affection for one another around the other stuff, but today Neo did not care. He fiercely wanted to, had to, protect her. He was desperate to learn what was upsetting her. But the meeting did not appear to be brief. Niobe had unravelled various diagrams and maps to present, and she was insistent that they all stand and listen and contribute to the discussion. Lately she was becoming more and more dominant in the Matrix context. Morpheus seemed spellbound, and almost enjoyed handing over this authority to her. None of the others minded, of course. Except now. Neo just wanted them to all disappear, to dissolve away, in order that he could speak with Trinity - alone, without interruption.  
  
Every so often, another tear slipped down Trinity's cheek and, discreetly, Neo would wipe it away with his thumb and wrap his arms tightly around her shoulders. She seemed so small and so vulnerable today. Not at all like the usually razor-sharp, discerning, strong and no-nonsense Trinity he knew, or the gentle, kind and patient woman he knew behind closed doors, away from the horrors of the Matrix. She was quite pale, and he prayed that she was not ill. That was all he could imagine it to be. That she was terribly sick, or....dying. The word seemed poisonous, even in his mind. If that was the truth, how could he cope? He answered his question immediately after he asked it. I couldn't, he realised. I could not live a day without her.  
  
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Trinity's occasional tears seemed to go unnoticed by the rest of the crew. Even Niobe, a generally perceptive woman, lurched ahead and described every inch of her plan to bring an end to the matrix. Morpheus, the unofficially appointed 'second-in-command' was occupied both accessory to Niobe's lecture and fervent admirer. These days it was difficult to miss the romantic tension shared between he and Niobe; it could almost be sliced with a knife. Dozer was deep in thought, and Cass was busy analysing the diagrams. It seemed that, today at least, everybody had turned off their abilities to perceive emotions around them.  
  
After what seemed like hours and hours, Niobe dismissed the crew, and rolled up all the papers. Neo took the opportunity to grab Trinity by the hand and lead her back into her bedroom. He closed and bolted the doors, insistent that they not be interrupted again. He sat in front of her, as she curled up, knees hugged to her chest, on top of the quilt. He stroked her face delicately and planted a soft kiss on her lips.  
  
'Now,' he said quietly, 'what is it you want to tell me?'  
  
Trinity lowered her head, grabbed a tissue, and furiously blew her nose. She seemed determined to avoid answering the question. 'It's hard,' she said. 'It's not the kind of thing I can say aloud. Damnit, I wish I didn't have to do this.'  
  
'Come on,' he insisted gently. 'I need to know. You'll feel better once you tell me.'  
  
She took a long time to reply. 'Well...' she said. 'I...' She could not continue. Fresh tears tumbled down her cheeks, and she took a deep breath as a stream of incomprehensible sounds and words tumbled from her mouth.  
  
He clasped her hand in his, tightly; so tightly, in fact, that his knuckles seemed to go white. 'Trin, I'm here to stay, whether you like it or not. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, that won't change. I'm always here for you, no matter what. And,' he finished, 'I will always go each day loving you more and more than the one before.'  
  
He saw a smile peek out from behind her tears. 'Well,' she said. 'Something has happened to me.'  
  
Fear gripped his stomach. Neo said, 'You're not sick, are you? Please tell me you aren't sick, please!'  
  
'I'm not sick.'  
  
Neo exhaled. 'Thank God,' he whispered, kissing her again. 'I was so worried. I couldn't think of what could possibly be wrong.'  
  
'Well,' she repeat, 'something happened to me. Something I was never expecting and something I never thought about.'  
  
Neo racked his brain for ideas. Maybe it was a female thing? He knew vaguely about periods. Perhaps that's what it was. 'Did you get your period or something?'  
  
'No,' she said.  
  
'Well, that's okay then.'  
  
'Neo, that's thing. I didn't get my period.'  
  
Neo shrugged. 'So what's so bad about -' Realisation suddenly set in. 'You mean you didn't get it?'  
  
She shook her head. 'No.'  
  
'You're not...you're not...'  
  
Trinity burst into tears again. 'Neo, I'm pregnant.' 


	5. Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
'Neo, please, say something,' Trinity begged, sniffling again.  
  
Neo's head spun. Pregnant? PREGNANT? How could that have happened? Pregnancy was something touched everybody else but him. It wasn't real. It couldn't. The sensation was surreal. It only happened once...just once. It wasn't right.  
  
He tried to sound the words with his mouth, but no sound came out. 'Pregnant...pregnant...pregnant...' Moments later, the realisation truly set in. Pregnant = baby. And baby = father. Neo was not a father; not ready to be one. Didn't know if he ever would be. And he couldn't quite picture Trinity being a mother. His thoughts were cruel, irrational, almost barbaric, but it was an insane moment.  
  
'Are you sure?' he finally responded, hoping and praying that somehow she'd been mistaken.  
  
'Damnit, Neo, why would I say something like that if I wasn't sure? I've missed my period. And Cass got me a tester, when I was plugged in last week. I'm going to have a baby. WE'RE going to have a baby.'  
  
Neo's facial expression was an alarming contortion of horror, shock, confusion and anger. 'How...how...'  
  
'You're a little old to be asking that question, Neo.'  
  
Neo shook his head. 'This isn't right. We can't have a baby...at all...let alone in the middle of the matrix. It's WRONG. And...well...you're not exactly a motherly type.'  
  
Fury washed over Trinity's face. 'Who said?'  
  
'I don't know...just...you're not a maternal woman.'  
  
'Fuck you, Neo.' Trinity was furious. 'How dare you assume that? Maybe I've always wanted children? Maybe I've always wanted to be a mother? Oh, but because I kick some arse and kill a few bastards, it makes me unmaternal?'  
  
'No...that's not what was saying...' Neo said, but he knew his words sounded pathetic. 'Anyway, if you always wanted kids, then why are you so upset?'  
  
'Because I don't want to have to bring my own children into this nightmare. I don't want them to suffer what we do, and worry whether they're going to die or if Smith is gonna kill them when we're not looking.'  
  
'Why plural?'  
  
'I'm speaking generally.' Anger continued to blaze like fire in Trinity's eyes. 'And I knew you wouldn't be happy. That's why I didn't want to tell you.'  
  
Neo found it hard to understand his own feelings. In one sense, he was dismayed and petrified. He agreed with Trinity. He did not want to bring children into this nightmarish whirlwind of death and bloodthirsty destruction. And he genuinely did not feel ready to be a father, though he'd always wanted children...eventually. He'd always assumed, though, that their conception would be under controlled conditions. Planned. Not like this. Not like this.  
  
'Trin...' He reached out to hug her. 'I love you. I'm sorry. I think you'd make a great mum. I just...it's not easy to come to terms with.'  
  
'And you think it's any easier for me? I'm the one having this fricking baby.'  
  
'I know, I know. I'm sorry.' He looked at her with pleading eyes. 'Listen,' he said, 'I'm still kind of upset. I don't want babies to suffer all this, like you said. And I don't know if I'm ready to be a dad just yet.' He took a deep breath. 'But I suppose I have nine months to get used to the idea. And I love you. I'll help you through anything. We'll get through anything, as long as we're together.' He smiled weakly. 'Even this.' He wiped away the moisture from her cheeks.  
  
Trinity wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer to her, breathing in the scent of his hair and her skin. Neo closed his eyes and considered the fact that having a baby, aside from the obvious disadvantages in terms of the ship, might not be as terrible a thing as he'd first thought. Perhaps only because he had Trinity by his side. 


	6. Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX  
  
Neo and Trinity spent the next two hours, curled up on the bed, numb with shock.  
  
The realisation of the situation suddenly sank in, and Neo wasn't sure how to deal with it.  
  
He found it difficult to explain his emotions, to himself, let alone to Trinity. Ever since meeting and falling in love with Trinity, he'd been so different. He began to think of other people aside from himself. He had a purpose to all his actions, a reason behind every word he spoke. And since falling in love Trinity, he'd realised she was the only woman he ever wanted to be with. He'd often imagined what life would be like after the Matrix. He'd marry Trinity, no doubt about that. And, ultimately, he'd have children with her. That fact was without question. He never wanted to be with anyone but Trinity for the rest of his life. And, yes, he'd often thought about what their children would one day look like, how they'd turn out…he always imagined a family in eventuality, though he still wanted to enjoy the time he had with Trinity, alone. Perhaps it was a selfish thought, but sensible at the same time. He did not want to have to share her with anybody else, especially children. He'd seen first-hand in the human world how much effort child-rearing took, and the impact it had on romantic relationships. Yes, it was self-centred and self-serving, but he wanted Trinity all to himself. At least, for a little while. But now he had a time limit. Nine months. And then their baby would be born. And it would all change. He sighed, remembering his parents…they'd been so in love before children had entered their marriage context…after the birth of Neo's older brother Tristan, however, things had changed. They'd gotten more short with one another, had less time to themselves, or so his father often told him before he died. And then, with the arrival of Neo and then his younger sister Sarah, the relationship had crumbled completely. The once-beautiful partnership resulted in a bitter divorce that sent Mr Anderson senior to the lure of alcohol. And then he'd died, alone, of alcohol poisoning.  
  
Perhaps that was why he didn't want children. He'd seen, first-hand, what they could do to the parents' life. And I was the reason, he surmised. I caused their divorce. Dad's death. Mum's depression. Her insanity.  
  
A tear fell down Neo's cheek, quite of its own accord. He'd rarely ever thought about his past, but somehow this talk of babies had triggered off something in his subconscious that wanted to be let out. Images of the past flooded his mind, and for a moment he forgot about the Matrix, forgot about the baby, forgot about Trinity. He let his tears fall in great, racking sobs.  
  
'Neo?' Trinity asked, cupping his face in her hands and peering at him, concerned. 'What is it?' She kissed his forehead.  
  
Neo leant his forehead against Trinity's and cried even more. 'Trin,' he gulped, tears running down his nose, his cheeks, his lips, his chin, 'I can't lose you. I can't.'  
  
'You won't, I promise.' She kissed his nose, and tasted the saltiness of his tears. 'I won't ever leave you.' She pulled him to her and wrapped him in a huge hug. 'You've got to believe me.'  
  
'My Dad…'  
  
'Yes?'  
  
Neo had never spoken to Trinity about his father before. Nor his mother. His past had remained veiled throughout the Matrix journey. There had been no time for such talk, but even if there had, he wouldn't have done it. 'Dad….he…' He began to cry again, and his expression was a mirror of the grief tearing through his mind. 'He…he…started hating Mum after us kids were born.'  
  
'Don't feel ashamed to cry,' she said, 'keep going. Tell me everything. I'll listen.'  
  
So he did. He told her everything. About the drunken rows, about the bruises and the bitter diatribes constantly shared between parents. How Sarah had killed herself at the age of fourteen. How Tristan had disappeared, leaving sixteen-year-old Thomas Anderson to be with his parents. How the children had ruined their parents' lives.  
  
'Neo, Neo,' Trinity cried, kissing him madly on the lips. 'That wasn't your fault. It was your parents! They were incompatible. Or they couldn't cope with children. They didn't know how to deal with it. It doesn't mean it will change anything between us, having this baby.' She clutched her stomach, and brought his hand to it too. 'We're in this together, forever,' she said. 'This baby is gonna get all the love it can. And so are we. We'll never not love each other, you understand me? I know. I love you too much to let that happen.'  
  
'Trin…' he cried hoarsely. 'I love you. I love you.' He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her so tightly she felt mildly strangled. 'God, I don't know what I would do without you. I'll do or be anything for you.'  
  
'Just be with me and love me, and I'll be the happiest woman in the world.'  
  
He kissed her again.  
  
'And,' she said, 'I'll feel so much pride when I can say that I gave birth to your child.'  
  
'No, not mine,' he said. 'Ours.' 


	7. Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
The rest of the crew could tell something was going on between Neo and Trinity, but nobody was brave enough to ask. Dozer kept eyeing them both suspiciously and curiously, as though wondering if they were hatching some kind of secret plan. Morpheus observed them closely, watching Trinity's more and more frequent tears, observing the often-closed door of Trinity's (and now Neo's, too) bedroom, and Neo's over-protectiveness towards Trinity. Even Niobe, usually so attentive to 'business' and not much else, noticed that something strange was going on. But nobody suspected the truth. The truth was so simple yet so unbelievable.  
  
For to admit the truth would mean admitting that something incredible would happen to all on the matrix. The impending truth was the likes of which had never been contemplated let alone seen on the ship or within the matrix. It defied all the boundaries of the war, defied all the laws of the machines. And, most surprisingly, it was as simple as the result of love.  
  
Now that Trinity knew the real reason for Neo's hesitation when it came to accepting her pregnancy, she softened considerably, and spent more time talking to him. Over the course of a few days, she'd managed to understand more about his past, and in the process, help him to become more open with expressing his feelings.  
  
They often excused themselves from meetings and from gatherings onboard the ship, in order to talk and to spend time planning their approach. When would they tell everybody else, for they were bound to find out at some point? Where would they get the items they needed to look after a baby? Neo refused to let Trinity go on any more missions, even though she put up a rather convincing argument.  
  
'I have to go, Neo,' she said to him one afternoon, after Morpheus had informed them that Trinity needed to plug in and stake out an alleyway in the city, waiting for the agents, who were supposedly due there. 'I can't just give up my duty because of a baby.'  
  
'Yes, you can,' he said. 'And you will. I'm not letting you go. I'm not letting you endanger the baby, or yourself.'  
  
'Neo, stop this. I don't want to be told what to do. I'll go if I damn well want to go.'  
  
'Trin, you can't. I have to look after you. You're becoming more fragile. I don't want to risk the agents finding out, either, assuming they don't already know. If they do, who knows what they will try and do to you, to the baby?'  
  
Trinity considered this. 'But Neo…how would they know?'  
  
'I don't know,' he admitted. 'They might sense it. Or see code around you that is affected by the pregnancy. Look, I just want to be safe. I don't want to see you hurt.'  
  
'Neo, I'm not a paraplegic…I'm only pregnant, and about three weeks gone, at that.'  
  
'Come on, Trin,' he said. 'Do you trust me?'  
  
'Yes,' she answered, with no hesitation, staring into his eyes. 'I believe in you. And I trust you, with my life.'  
  
'Then don't go. For me. Trust me. Trust me when I sense that you going will only see you or the baby hurt.'  
  
It took several minutes for Trinity to give in, but she soon did. 'All right,' she said. 'I'll stay.'  
  
He wrapped his arms tightly around her. 'I love this baby of ours,' he said, 'and I love you.'  
  
Trinity closed her eyes and smiled, hugging him tighter.  
  
'I'll never get used to eating this muck,' Dozer said, his face wrinkling as he let his sludgy food drip from his spoon.  
  
'It's the best we can do considering the circumstances,' Morpheus said.  
  
'Well, then, good ain't good enough,' Dozer said, feigning offence, pushing his plate towards Neo. 'You eat the rest of mine, if you like it so much.' Everybody at the table erupted in laughter. Dozer was always joking, always cheering everybody up. At least, when he was away from the mainframe. When around the mainframe, he was quiet, determined and serious. Away from it, he took the opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of his friends.  
  
Neo laughed. 'Don't look so shocked, Morpheus,' he said, grinning.  
  
Morpheus smiled slightly, raising his eyebrows. 'You're welcome to it,' he returned to Dozer. 'I'd rather not eat it, if that's all right.'  
  
Dozer let out a stream of strange noises and banged his fists on the table. 'Aw, aw, look at that! Morpheus doesn't like it either!' The insanely comical look on his face made everybody burst into new peals of laughter. Tears began streaming down Neo's cheek from the strain of such laughter.  
  
Trinity suddenly clutched her stomach. Her eyes bulged. Neo was the only one who noticed, He bent his head low and whispered urgently, 'What's wrong, Trin?' His eyes were full of concern. 'Are you okay? Is the baby okay?'  
  
The silence that fell upon the table at that moment was palpable.  
  
Trinity gritted her teeth as Neo looked up, alarmed.  
  
'Baby?' said Niobe, finally.  
  
Neo felt his mouth open, but couldn't find words. Or his vocal chords. In the end, he gave up and closed it again.  
  
It was difficult to read the expressions on their faces. There was confusion, shock, amazement. Their brows were knitted, as though contemplating the comment Neo had just made. On the other hand, Neo could not read their reactions beyond this superficiality.  
  
'What do you mean, baby?' Morpheus asked.  
  
Trinity squeezed Neo's hand and nodded slightly. 'It's time,' she whispered, so that only Neo could hear.  
  
'Well…uh…Trinity's…she's…uh…pregnant.' He swallowed, flustered. 'She's going to have a baby. Our baby.'  
  
Dozer was the first to react, letting out an amazed and excited whoop that rattled the bowls on the table.  
  
The others just sat, staring, mouths open. 


	8. Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
'Neo,' Morpheus said, quietly, 'can I see you privately for a moment?'  
  
Nodding, and just a little nervous, Neo followed Morpheus into an empty room after dinner. He wasn't sure what to expect. Morpheus' expression had been stony throughout dinner. Neo was scared. Scared that, for the first time, he would be meeting with Morpheus' disapproval.  
  
'Neo,' he said, slowly and deliberately, sitting in an armchair, and gesturing towards the other. Clumsily, Neo fell into it. His stomach was in knots. His chest heaved. He felt dizzy, and he thought he might vomit. 'I'd like you to tell me exactly what's going on.'  
  
'Well…uh…Trinity's pregnant.'  
  
'I think we established that.'  
  
'Well…what else is there to say?'  
  
'When did this happen?'  
  
'At Zion, sir. The night of your speech. The night of the dancing.'  
  
'I see.' Morpheus cracked his knuckles, and Neo shuddered inwardly. 'I see.'  
  
He did not speak for many more moments, but finally, he did. 'Do you realise, Neo, how dangerous this is to everybody concerned? Not just to you, but the entire crew?'  
  
'No.'  
  
'Well, allow me to inform you.' Morpheus did not smile, and this concerned Neo. Usually Morpheus had some kind of smile on his face, whether in his eyes or playing on his lips. But today, his expression was stone-cold, so distant, so angry.  
  
'Firstly, Trinity's life is now in peril. If the machines found out about her pregnancy, they would hunt her down. She is now the bait. The machines see pregnancy as weakness, as sentimentality. And,' he finished, 'the machines seek to destroy all weakness wherever possible.'  
  
Neo was stunned, and did not respond.  
  
'This means,' Morpheus continued, 'that she could not go anywhere beyond the hovercraft during her pregnancy.'  
  
'Oh.'  
  
'And once the baby is born, that's even worse. If the machines got wind of the fact that the One had a child, they would seek to destroy it.' Morpheus leaned in closer to Morpheus, his stare still stern and icy. 'Unless the Agents got there first. They would have a field day, Neo. It would be their new mission in life, to kill the child of the saviour. And the mother.' He leaned back again. 'This ultimately puts not only Trinity and the baby in danger, but you and the rest of the crew on this ship.'  
  
Neo hung his head. He did not know what he could say.  
  
'Now, the way I see it, you have two options to bypass all this.'  
  
'What?'  
  
'We could have you and Trinity move to Zion. You could live with Cass and Zee, and hide away. But you would be refugees. You could not leave once you'd entered, for once you leave, you would be back in matrix territory. And,' he said, 'once the baby is born, it can be physically tagged.' He clenched his fists. 'This means that we have no hope of conquering the matrix, for you would no longer be with us. We would have to cope on our own.'  
  
'Shit,' said Neo finally, fear gripping his stomach. His head swam, trying to absorb all this mind-numbing information that was being presented to him. 'What's our other option?'  
  
'Well,' Morpheus said, linking his fingers over his lap. 'The other option is to abort the pregnancy.'  
  
'You mean kill our baby?' Neo gasped. 'Morpheus, how could you even say that.'  
  
Morpheus shrugged. 'I say this not out of malice, but out of logic and care for all concerned.'  
  
'I can't make this decision, Morpheus. There must be some way of disguising this from the matrix, without having to go to Zion or kill the baby. There must be.'  
  
Morpheus shook his head. 'Neo, Neo, Neo. There is no other way. This is it. It's time to pay the price for a moment of recklessness. Make your decision, and fast, so that we can act upon it before it is too late.'  
  
Neo slumped in his chair. How could he make a decision like this? 


	9. Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE  
  
'Neo,' Morpheus said, 'it might be wise to consult Trinity about this, hmm?'  
  
Neo jumped. He must have been sitting there for about five minutes, deep in thought, feeling sick to the stomach. Morpheus' words startled him. He'd been so absorbed in trying to find a solution, that he'd completely forgotten the existence (and the rights) of one crucial person in this equation – the mother, Trinity.  
  
Mother. Neo repeated the word over and over in his mind. While he was now looking forward to having a child, he was distressed about the decision they were faced with, and he still found it hard to associate the word 'mother' with Trinity. Trinity was an arse-kicking, sharp-witted warrior and a sentimental side when in private. He could not believe that she was going to be the mother of his child. A surge of pride coursed through him at this thought. Trinity, my Trinity, the mother of my baby, our baby. He smiled for a moment, before remembering the terrible decision before them. He sighed, and left the room, dragging his feet all the way along to her room.  
  
Trinity was sleeping when he entered the room. She was curled up on her side, peacefully serene. His heart gave a jolt when he looked at her. She's so beautiful, he thought, and she's mine. I love her so much. When he moved closer to the bed, he noted that one hand rested gently on her stomach. He sighed. How could he take such a precious gift away from her? The truth was, he couldn't.  
  
'Trinity?' he whispered, hardly daring to awaken her, but knowing he had to. She looked as perfect as a porcelain doll; delicate and painfully beautiful. He traced the contours of her cheeks and eyes and lips with his eyes. 'Trinity?' he whispered again, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. She stirred, and then her eyes fluttered open, gradually settling on his face.  
  
'Hi,' she said.  
  
'Hey,' he said, quietly, as though speaking any more audibly would break the spell of beauty in that room. 'I have to talk to you.' He bent down and kissed the tip of her nose.  
  
'Okay,' she said. 'Go ahead.'  
  
'Morpheus…he wasn't happy about the baby…' he said, and when a furious expression appeared on her face, he hastily amended his words. 'Because it puts us all in danger. Basically, our lives will be threatened if this baby is born. He said we have two choices – we either flee to Zion and stay there for the rest of our lives, and have the baby, or –' He swallowed. 'You have to have an abortion.'  
  
'WHAT?' Trinity cried, springing to her feet from the bed. Her face blazed with anger. 'Kill the baby? Give up the battle? How could he ask us to do that?'  
  
'Well, he did,' he finished. 'Trin, we have to make a decision. Quickly, he says.'  
  
'Well, Morpheus can go to hell,' Trinity fumed. 'I'm not doing either. We are staying right here, going on with the war, and having this baby.'  
  
'I think that's a little unrealistic,' a voice appeared from the doorway. Neo and Trinity turned, only to see Morpheus' stocky figure framed in the entrance. 'I already informed Neo that to remain, here, fighting in the war, without terminating the pregnancy, would be fatal for all concerned.'  
  
Trinity, wide-eyed with a frightening combination of anger, confusion, sadness and fear, eyed Neo. Neo nodded. 'We have to listen, Trin,' he said. 'I'm not losing you. Or the baby. I'll make you go to Zion if it means saving the only happiness I'll ever know.'  
  
'Neo, I can't.'  
  
'You can, but I won't. I have a duty to fulfil here, for Zion and for everybody. I'll have you and the baby protected in Zion, but there is no use sending you there if there is nobody here to free it. If what everybody's saying is true, and I am the One, then it's my job to save it.' He felt tears choking his words. 'Even if it means sending you away.'  
  
'Neo, it's just as much my battle as yours, damnit. I'm not going away to Zion, let alone without you.'  
  
Morpheus chose that moment to intervene. 'Then, I'm afraid, you'll have to abort the pregnancy.'  
  
Trinity scowled. 'How can you do this to us, Morpheus, damnit?'  
  
'It is not my fault, Trinity. It is the direct result of a choice you made, that night in Zion. And,' he said, 'it is not easy for me to tell you this. I do not want to see either of you unhappy, nor do I want the baby killed, whether by an abortion or by the agents. But for the sake of you three, as well as the rest of the crew, I have to tell you to make decisions that will ultimately affect your lives.'  
  
Trinity lowered her head. She did not want them to see the tears forming in her eyes. She clutched her abdomen protectively. 'I don't know what to do,' she finally admitted. 'I can't do this, Neo. I can't do this, Morpheus.'  
  
'I must say,' said Morpheus, 'that although we do want you here, the baby was conceived in Zion, and so it should be born and raised there. Not here. Not on this ship. Not in the midst of battle and conflict and war.'  
  
'Would you stand a chance without us?' Neo asked Morpheus.  
  
Morpheus shook his head. 'But we never know.'  
  
'Perhaps I can work from within Zion to help you. Part-time battle…occasionally leaving to help…'  
  
'Perhaps. I cannot say for sure though. Only time will tell, as they say.' Morpheus finally smiled slightly. 'I didn't say it before, because I was so concerned about the outcome. But I will say it now. Congratulations. If any two people in this world deserve happiness like a baby, it is you.'  
  
Neo dipped his head, then looked up and into Trinity's eyes. They spoke to each other without words. They both knew exactly what the other was thinking, what the other wanted to say but couldn't.  
  
'Morpheus…' Neo said finally, 'Trin and I will leave the Nebuchadnezzar. We'll go on to Zion, and have our baby.'  
  
Morpheus sighed. 'I knew you were going to say that.' 


End file.
